Radiator construction



L. P. DWYE March 24. 1931.

RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed OCT.. 29, 1925 Patented Mar. v24,1931

i. UNITED. STATES -lrfrnN'r OFFICE LAWRENCE P.' DWYER, OP CHICAGO, IILINOIs, AssIGNOR To C. A. DUNHAM COMPANY, OP MARSIIALLTOWN, IOWA, A CORPORATION or IOWA RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION Application filed. October 29, 1925. Serial No. 65,525.

This invention relates generally to'heat exchange and pertains particularly to an i111- proved construction of radiating units for use in effecting exchange of heat between 'fluids of different temperatures. AIt, finds special applicability in installations for heating or cooling air which is circulated for the Ventilating of buildings andthe like.

The principal considerations in apparatus of this type are economy in cost, eii'ciency in e'ecting the exchange of heat, facility and adaptability of installation, and durability, which includes ability to withstand operating pressures and4 temperature variations Without leakage, and facility of repair.

It is the general purpose ofthe present invention to. attain these several advantages to a maximum degree.

, x One of the speciflc'objects is the provision of a construction in which the radiating elements may be of very thin or ,light metal and of extensive length, easily assembled, both in'manufacture and in repair, and effectively sealed or secured in such fashion as to avoid distortion of the structure or deterioration of the joints and the opening of lea-ks incidentto prolonged use, temperature variations, pressure of the contained fluid and structural stresses or strains.

` YAnother object is the provision of a construction which will facilitate draining ofthe unit in any Ofa number of positions, thusl rendering it available for installationina wide variety ofsituations.

A. further Object is the provisionkof a construction containing radiating elements of very thin or .light weight metal and particui larly qualified to facilitate the rapid circulation of the external fluid in Contact withV them.

Other and further ebjects. of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter, indicated in the appended claims, or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding 'of the present disclosure.

For the purpose of this application I have elected to show and describe herein one form of construction in `which the invention may be embodied, but it is to be understood that the samei's presented for illustration` only,

and is not to be construed as imposing any unnecessary limitations on the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. f

AIn'the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,

. Fig. l is a side view of the radiator unit,

parts being broken away,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken-substantially on line 2-2' of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail Showing the o0 joint connection of a radiating element, and Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of a radiating element. A y

The' artl recognizes the advantages attained in the use of thin walled radiating elements 65.

made of materials having a high heat conductive factor, it being Well-understood that such elements contribute to the rapid exchange of heat-between the containedfluid ycirculated Within them and an external fluid in contact with their outer surfaces. The use of these thin walled or light radiating elements is attended, however, with seriousmechanical difliculties in the mounting orcoupling of such elements with the necessary headers, manifolds or supply conduits. Y These mechanical diiiculties obtain both in manufact-ure of the appliances and in their operation. In the manufacture, it is extremely ,diiicult to accomplish economically the assembling of a considerable number of these light elements with the necessary headers andthe forming of tight joints which will withstand prolonged or trying usage.

The installation of the appliances requires very-careful handling of them in order to avoid the straining of they joints and watchfulness must be exercised in',

'ous forms of screw or clamping couplings,

but dulties were encountered in assem- 10 bling, due to the likelihood of twisting or distorting the light radiating elements in turning up the couplings. Such constructions, moreover, have been of such nature that their 5 cost is prohibitive for general commercial fusage. A

The present invention contempla-tes a construction in which screw threaded clamping couplings are employed, thestructure -being so organized vthat assembly may be -accomplished with facility and in such fashion that i' vdistortion of the light radiating elements is avoided. T he nature of the invention will be more quickly understood by a detailed consideration of the embodiment illustrated. ln thedr'awing, the numerals 10 designate headers suitably equipped for connection to supply and withdrawal conduits, as by means of the threaded flanges a. The headers may be formed in any desired shape or fashion,` as of cast metal, and afford distributing chambers 10b. The wall 10c of -the header constitutes a mounting Wall for attachment of the radiating elements. This wall is pierced at r properly spaced intervals by apertures 10dl from the wall 10".` These nipples have their outer ends tapered to form conic external surfaces, and their peripheral walls screw threaded. There are twol of these headers employed in each unit, one as a supply header and the other -as a -Withdrawal header, said headers being arranged for connection to the opposite ends of the radiating elements 'or' tothe conic ends of the nipples, and are suitably formed, as with Spanner notches 12? for engagement by 'atool for turning them up.`

The tubes or radiating elements 11 are' formed of thin material, such as light copper seamless drawn tubing, provided externally -with radiating fin-5.112L brazed directly to their outer surfaces. For a space adjacent the ends of the tubes, theyare left bare of fins to aford room for application of the clamping nuts. After thefnuts are 'placed on the ends of the tubes, a left hand nut' at one end'and a right hand nut at the other end of each tube, the end portions of the tubes are iiared or swaged outwardly to a form and size adapting them to seat on the tapering ends ofthe nipples 10. The tubes are assembled between the headers, the right handv nuts all at one end and the left hand nuts at the other, and their flared ends fitted on the ends of the. nipples of the respective headers. The nuts are then .65 turned up so as to clamp the flared ends o f which extend through nipples 10e projecting the tubes firmly between the complementary conic surfaces of the nipples and the nuts. Due to the arrangement described, the turning up of the nuts may be accomplished without twisting the light tubes, as both of the nuts on each tube are rotated in the same direction about the axis of the tube asthey are turned up. Due to this feature, the nuts mayy be turned up very tightly. so as to form absolutely tight joints between the tubes and the headers, affording a connection which allows the tubes a desirable flexibility relaends from the nipples or to engage` them thereon, when the nuts are backed off.

Advantage in `eiiiciency may be gained by the use of radiating elements having their intermediate portions of ovaloid or stream-line cross sectional form, as illustrated in Fig. 4. An element having such a cross sectional form is effective in decreasing resistance to circulation of the external `fluid and in securing more extensive and intimate contact of the fluid with the tube. My improved construction i-s of particular advantage in connection with radiating lelements of this type because of thefact that it facilitates the accurate setting of the tubes with respect to the direction.

of iiow of the external fluid. In the use of radiating elements in which the radiating fins are applied as a continuous spiral flange, the

tube is afforded substantial reinforcement by the flange. It has beenv found that this has the eEect of localizing at the ends of the tube any twisting resulting from the turning up of the nuts, with the result that the tubes have been weakened and distorted to an in-.

creased extent at the joints and in the locav tions where their strength and integrity are most highly important. :My improved con.

struction, therefore, wherein the twisting tendency is avoided, is of additional utility and advantage when radiating elements of this type are used. Considerations of drainage and of internal and external circulating efficiency render a straight tube of distinct advantage over one of tortuous or spiral form, and the use of my construction is `of particular value where straight tubes are used, as they are more susceptible to injury from twisting than are tubes of the other description. The construction is also of distinct advantage in installations in which the radiating elements are of exceptional length, as the strength of the j oints qualifies them to with- `stand the additional stresses induced bythe linear expansion and contraction of the ele- `ments with changes of temperature. The security of the joints and` elimination of twisting distortion qualifies a. radiator of this construction to withstand internal and external {iuid pressures effectively, and contributes to its eligibility for installation in any position,

Whether horizontal or upright, or with the headers at the sides or at the top and bottom.

What I claimis:

l. A radiator construction comprising headers, radiator tubes having communication at their ends with the headers, and clamping nuts for joining the tubes to the headers, said nuts having portions for clamping engagement with the tubes and screw thread engagement with the headers, the nuts cooperating with atube being rotatable'in the same direction about the axis thereof to eEect their clamping engagement therewith.

2. A radiator construction comprising radiating tubes having thin and iexible walls, headers communicating with thetubes at op- 20 posite ends thereof, clamping nuts having screw threaded engagement with the headers to effect clamping engagement with the tubes,

one of the headers having right hand screw threads and the other having left hand screw '25 threads, for cooperation with the clamping nuts at respective ends of the tubes.

3. A radiatorwconstruction comprising a pair of headerssprovided with nipples, the nipples of one of the headers being provided with -right hand screw threads and the nipples on the other header being provided with left hand screw threads, radiating tubes having communication at their opposite ends with the respective headers, `said radiating tubes' having thin flexiblewalls seating at their ends on the header nipples, and clamping nuts having threaded engagement with the nipples and clamping engagement with the tube walls to secure the tubes to the headers.

j 4. A radiator construction comprising headers, radiating tubes communicating at their opposite ends with respective headers, said radiating tubes having thin flexible Walls, and screw threaded clamping members securing the-tubes to the headers, said clamping members bein movable on their threads in opposite directlons longitudinally of the tubes by rotation in the same direction about the axis of the tubes.

5. A radiator construction comprising headers, radiating tubes communicating at their opposite ends with respective headers, said radiating tubes having thin iexible walls, and screw threaded clamping members securing the tubes to the headers, the clamping members for a tube being rotatable in the same direction about the axis'thereof to secure the tube to the header.

` 6. A radiator construction comprising ray diating tubes having thin flexible walls and radiating fins extending from the walls, the wall portions adjacent the ends of the tubes being bare of fins, headers communicating with opposite ends of the tubes, and clamping nuts rotatable on the bare end portionsl circular in cross section and the intermediate portions of the tubes having an ovaloid cross sectional form, headers communicating wlth the ends of the tubes, and nuts rotatable in n the same direction on the end portions of the tubes for clamping them in sealed connection with the headers.

8. A radiator construction comprising radiating tubes having thin iexible walls, the end portions of which are substantially cir-- cular in cross section and the intermediate portions of ovaloid cross section, radiating ns secured in contact with the intermediate portion, headers, and nuts rotatable on the end portions in the same direction for clamping them in sealed `connection with the headers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LAWRENCE P. DWYER. 

